“What Can Poetry Be Now?” Diane Seuss’s Modern Poetry

"What Can Poetry Be Now?" Diane Seuss's Modern Poetry

[ad_1] Here’s an awkward secret: I began writing criticism only five years ago. Only five years prior, after a significant life change, I fully committed to in-depth study of American poetry, not through traditional academia, but via a popular massive open online course called Modern & Contemporary American Poetry.  In short, I’m an imposter. I’m … Read more

Setting the Modern Noir Scene in “Here in the Dark” – Chicago Review of Books

Setting the Modern Noir Scene in “Here in the Dark” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] In her debut novel, Here in the Dark, prize-winning culture reporter and theater critic for the New York Times Alexis Soloski crafts a psychological thriller around Vivian Parry, a Manhattan-based theater critic notorious for her acerbic reviews and her predilection for mixing sex, booze, and pills to quell the anxiety and grief she feels … Read more

Stephen Buoro Brings to Life “HXVX,” a Loveable Teen Protagonist, and Modern Nigeria in All its Beauty, Contradictions, and Permutations

Stephen Buoro Brings to Life “HXVX,” a Loveable Teen Protagonist, and Modern Nigeria in All its Beauty, Contradictions, and Permutations

[ad_1] Stephen Buoro’s debut novel The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa announces the arrival of an exciting new verbal craftsman with a fresh voice, or perhaps multiple voices. There’s the Stephen Buoro who creates a memorable and sympathetic character in the book’s titular Andy Africa, there’s the Stephen Buoro whose satirical language is hilarious … Read more

A Modern Noir in Big Tech in “Please Report Your Bug Here” – Chicago Review of Books

A Modern Noir in Big Tech in “Please Report Your Bug Here” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] The threat posed by technocratic fascism has played out in real time on the timelines of social media users in recent months. Whether we’re sharing words or videos or memes or embarrassing grade school yearbook photos, we’ve ceded enormous power to too few gatekeepers. The rapid changes in technology has meant our cultural critique … Read more

Where in the (Modern) World is Africa? – Chicago Review of Books

Where in the (Modern) World is Africa? – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] The old adage begins with a drunkard and a streetlight. Hunched over, he strains his eyes toward the ground; cursing, as he looks for the keys he has somehow misplaced on his nightly walk home. A neighbor strolls by and our drunkard—now quite desperate for a helping hand—explains his predicament. The neighbor asks while … Read more

Modern Chills and Thrills in “The Nesting” – Chicago Review of Books

Modern Chills and Thrills in “The Nesting” – Chicago Review of Books

[ad_1] C.J. Cooke’s new novel, The Nesting, ticks all the boxes of a satisfying thriller, but it’s more than just a safe bet for a good read on a dark and stormy night. Cooke’s thought-provoking depiction of the sinister side of motherhood and Mother Nature adds depth to the book’s fast-paced, gripping plot and amplifies … Read more